C4P 2001

C4P Report from Chris Scott to Participants

The Miles: The [results to be posted soon] lay out much of it; what you put in your log book is your call (expectedly, higher). Lots of miles: if you add the mileage for scouting/sweeping, the grand total fairly equals the R/T frequent flyer miles between Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles (or, about 4500 miles). No wonder we were wiped by Sunday!! Other little factoids: (1) comparing the 3 years of C4P (’01/’00/’99), the numbers stack thusly - 5/4/2 suffered the full distance (and then some, eh, Mike?), 15/18/16 racked up at least 100 miles, 14/15/12 found all of the Ojai course, 9/18/4 ground out Saturday’s PMSP [Pt. Mugu State Park] siege, and 8/5/14 survived the final day (tho last year’s rainfest accounts noticeably for that smaller last-day finish). (2) Catra was the first woman to conquer the whole course. (3) Mike’s 11:14 pace is 2nd to Dan Barger’s 10:13, and ekes ahead of Joe Clapper’s 11:20, among those who battled thru all four days. (4) Of course, Stan’s phenomenal 7:37 average pace will stand in the books longer than Morton’s W$ record…

The Biles: C4P continued to lead the field of ultra events in culinary delights, both on and off the courses. Fresh Choice remains the leading candidate for Jamie and Deborah’s GI Challenge on the Ojai course. When last did you have a saloon dinner associated with an ultra? And, as the body craved ever-increasing quantities, neither Saturday’s dinner nor Sunday’s picnic skimped. As for aid stations, no pate in Ojai this year (despite high anticipation), tho we offered quite an assortment of other delectables. Kahlua at Gridley and Jack Daniels at Howard Creek fed alcoholic tendencies. Great jerky at Boney-Backbone on Saturday, eh? No one starved, but also unlikely that we’ll get any 4 Star ratings on the circuit.

The Styles: Odd enough having a 4 day ultra event, so it’s not too surprising that participants’ creativity in behavior drifted off the charts occasionally. “Normal” people don’t act that way, but normal people don’t do ultras, either. Artful expressions (poetry galore, Beach Blond Mitch, “Light My Fire” Howard, the Happy Trails chorus line, Barb and the Baton Bozo’s, Saturday’s Story Time, the Panty Raid, etc) received their just rewards. Some planned, some unexpected, all successfully executed!!!!

The Smiles: The absolutely gorgeous coastal setting? The casually evolving camaraderie? The quality Patagonia jacket? The goofiness? The satisfaction of a good weekend workout? Can you remember, much less account for, all the components of what made the weekend uniquely incredible? In part, you owe much of your pleasurable experience to the dedicated efforts of our small volunteer staff. While other less complex events require hordes of people, we found that by limiting our numbers to the bare necessities, aside from the extra work, we also became part of the thread of the weekend’s fun. Thanks for letting us enjoy it with you. So, in part, you have yourselves to thank, as well…

Exiles?: Yes, this was the last C4P. But that’s not to say there won’t be a surrogate next year. After the feathers from this year settle, we’ll begin the discussions/negotiations that may hopefully produce another frolic in the Ventura County hills. It may look closer to the original Mugu 50-50, and it’s highly likely it will retain the tenor that has consistently been evident in each of the offerings these past four years. Stay tuned…